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By DE Editors

September 3, 2019

Carbon and Specialized are announcing a partnership to produce the first digitally printed bike saddle, the S-Works Power Saddle with Mirror technology. Designed to improve rider comfort and performance, the new saddle, crafted using Carbon materials and complex lattice geometries, absorbs impact and improves stability, which can reduce the chance of injury for the rider, the company reports.

“Carbon and Specialized share a mission to challenge the acceptable, create the extraordinary, and ultimately make products that enable people to push the limits of what’s possible,” says Dr. Joseph DeSimone, CEO and co-founder of Carbon. “Our partnership with Specialized represents not only a breakthrough in bike saddle technology, but also our companies’ shared commitment to drive meaningful change by making products that improve human health and well-being.”

For cyclists at all levels, one of the most important aspects of the riding experience is the saddle. From its shape to its padding level, the bike saddle can be the difference between a bad ride or a great ride. The challenge lies in creating a saddle to maximize rider performance by providing comfort and stability. With this in mind, Carbon and Specialized report they are taking saddle innovation to the next level with the S-Works Power Saddle with Mirror technology.

“Specialized has a long history of improving the rider experience. We created our first Body Geometry saddle over 20 years ago to address serious issues impacting cyclists. Together with Carbon, we are challenging the norms of the cycling world, from design to production time, to create technology that will allow riders to improve performance, increase comfort, and reduce the chance of injury,” says Garrett Getter, specialized product manager of Saddles. “With Mirror technology, we’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible.”

In the past, bike saddle designers and manufacturers have faced persistent challenges to mitigate the pressure and discomfort cyclists at all levels often experience, which can lead to injuries and health issues, including neuralgia (nerve pain), numbness, and urinary problems. Carbon Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) technology made it possible to develop a lattice design that enables the saddle to rebound quickly, giving riders the experience of having a ‘suspension’ for their sit bones. The saddle not only disperses pressure, but also significantly improves breathability. Ultimately, our innovation is designed to result in less pain and fewer injuries for riders, leading to better health and performance.

S-Works Power Saddle with Mirror technology

The S-Works Power Saddle with Mirror technology is the third production application in sporting goods, after adidas and Riddell, that Carbon has validated for its L1 Production Solution. Designed for immediate, high-volume production, the L1 Production Solution combines a printer with 10x the surface area of Carbon’s first generation printer. It also offers validated cleaning and curing tools that, together, provide a launchpad for a new breed of digitally designed and manufactured products, the company reports. Like the adidas FutureCraft 4D midsole and Riddell’s SpeedFlex Precision-Fit Diamond helmet, the S-Works Power Saddle with Mirror technology improves performance and protection with an elastomeric lattice produced with Carbon’s innovative Elastomeric Polyurethane (EPU) material, the company adds.

Carbon DLS is helping to bring Mirror technology to market quickly. Together, Carbon and Specialized were able to reduce the overall development process from the typical 18-24 month timeline to just 10 months, while still creating and testing over 70 designs in this short timeframe. The use of Carbon technology reduced the overall design process from 6 to 2 months, with design iteration, which typically takes 2-3 weeks, taking only 1 day with Carbon, the company notes.

The new S-Works Power Saddle with Mirror technology will be available in 2020.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.